Trousers-stretcher.



No. 680,269. 'Patentd Aug. l3, mm.

J. L. mmms. TRUUSEBS STRETCHER.

(Application filed May 31, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

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,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. JEWETT L. NORRIS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS H. RIOKETTS, OF SAME PLACE.

TROUSERS-'STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,269, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed May 31, 1900. Serial No. 18,541. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J EWETT L. NORRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in 'lrousers-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of trousers-stretchers; and the objects of my invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiective trousers-stretching device which can be conveniently supported on either face of a door, to provide improved means for the adjustable support and stretching of the trousers between the stretcher-sections, and to produce other improvements, the details of construction and arrangement of parts of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa plan view of the upperstretchersection. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is acentral transverse section on line mm of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an under side view of the central portion of the lower stretcher-section. Fig. 5 is a plan view of said lower stretchersection, and Fig. 6 is an end view of the lower stretcher-section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I employ an upperstretching-section,which in the manner hereinafter described is adapted to be socured to either the inner or outer face of a door or other similar surface. Of this upper stretcher-section 1 represents the base or attaching bar,which has its upper side covered with a strip of felt or similar material 2. The bar 1 is provided on its under side with a central transverse attaching bracket or plate 3, one of the projecting ends of which is provided with a screw or nail opening 3, and the opposite projecting end of which is provided with an elongated or slotted opening 3". Projecting outward from each end of the base-bar 1 and inclining slightly upward therefrom are bearing or bracket arms 4.

5 represents the binding-bar of the upper section,which in the manner hereinafter de scribed is adapted to fit loosely and swing between the bracketarms 4, said binding-bar being oblong in cross-section. On' each end of the binding-bar 5 I provide an end plate 6, the upwardly-proj ecting portion of which is provided with a pin 7 ,thesebearing-pins being journaled in openings in the outer ends of the bracket-arms at. The bar 5 is preferably covered with felt or a similar cloth 8. Owing to the fact of the binding-bar being pivotally connected with the arms 4 and these pivotpoints being arranged eccentrically, as described, it is obvious that the normal tendency of the inner or binding surface of the bar 5 is to drop into a position parallel with and in close proximity with the felt-covered surface of the base-bar. As indicated at 9 inFig. 3 of the drawings, I may for the sake of providing space between the base and clamp bars for the accommodation of the scams or hems of the trousers-legs cut away the outer side of the clamping-bar at the center thereof.

The above-described upper stretcher-section is adapted to be secured to a door, preferably the inner side of a closet-door, through the medium of a screw or screw-eye passing loosely through the opening 3 of the attaching-plate 3 into the door and a suitable form of nail or screw passing loosely through the slotted opening 3".

In further carrying out my invention I employ a lower clamping-section which is adapted in the manner hereinafter described to be adj ustably supported on a door at a point below the upper section. Of this lower section 10 represents the base or attaching bar,which is preferably shorter than the upper bar 1 and which, as prescribed for said upper bar, has its outer face covered with a strip of felt 11. The bar 10 has projecting outward from each end thereof a bearing arm or bracket 12, and between these brackets is arranged to swing, as hereinafter described, a bindingbar 13, the latter being of the substantially half-round form in cross-section shown in the drawings. As prescribed for the-binding-bar 5, the bar 13 is preferably covered with felt, as indicated at 14. Each end of the bar 13 is provided with an end plate 15, from which projects eccentrically or at a point adjacent to the flat outer side of said bar a journal or pivot pin 16, these pins being journaled in the outer ends of the brackets 12. The end plates 15'are also provided with projecting finger-pieces 17.

Affixed transversely to the central portion of the rear side of the base-bar 10 is a plate 18, said plate being provided with upper and lower outwardly-projecting guide lugs or ears 18, having oppositely-located openings therein. This plate also has fulcrumed thereto a spring-actuated pawl or dog 19, the inner or toothed end of which is normally held in engagement with one of the teeth or notches of a toothed or notched rod 20, which passes.

loosely through the openings of the lugs 18 and which rod, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings, terminates in end-attaching lugs 21, which are adapted to be secured to the face of a door at points in vertical alinement with the center of the upper bar 5.

The upper and lower sections of mydevice being secured to a door in the manner herein described, the trousers to be stretched have their upper and wider portions, subsequent to one leg thereof being folded upon the other, inserted between the binding-bar 5 and basebar 1 of the upper section, the said bindingbar being previously raised or turned away from said base-bar. The binding-bar is automatically turned inward, when the trousers are slipped under and over the same and are firmlyclamped between the felt-covered parts 1 and 5. This being accomplished, the lower portions of the trousers-legs are inserted between the bars 13 and 10 and are clamped in this position by turning said bar 13 until its rounded felt-covered surface binds the trousers-legs into contact with the felt-covered surface of the bar 13. The trousers thus clamped are then stretched or placed under desirable tension by pressing down with the palms of both hands on the bar 10 and allowing the pawl-tooth to spring into a new notch of said rack-rod. In this manner the legs of the trousers are not only firmly clamped in the upper and lower sections, but the same are firmly held in a stretched position, which'results in pulling the wrinkles therefrom and imparting front and rear creases to the legs thereof. Owing to the fact that the upper clamping-section is pivoted it is obvious that in case the upper portion of the trouserslegs are not so inserted as to cause the upper clamping-bar to cross the same exactly at right angles with the direction of the length of the trousers-legs the upper. binding-section may swing sufficiently on its pivot to compensate for such difference, with the result that the strain or tension on the rear and front sides of the trousers-legs will be equalized. c

From the construction herein shown and described it will be seen that a simple, reliable, and quickly-operated construction of trousers-stretcher is produced which may be readily attached to an ordinary closet-door or similar surface. 7

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The trousers -stretcher herein described consisting of the upper bar mounted for pivotal movement, a clamp eccentrically mounted on said bar, to fold downward to clamp the trousers, a vertically-disposed rod independent of the upper bar and having means for its attachment to a door, a lower bar mounted on said rod for sliding movement thereon and for pivotal movement on said rod as a center, and a clamping-bar eccentrically mounted on said lower bar and movable in the direction opposite to that of the upper clamp to clamp the trousers, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

JEWETT L. NORRIS In presence of A. L. PHELPS, R. Gr. HESSONG. 

